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Topic Review (Newest First)

04-30-2013 09:47 PM

jay1028

What are all these

Looking to replace rear shock mounts. I don't know what the washer looking parts are for and where do they go?

Jay

11-17-2012 12:15 AM

Sniper Focus

I have nylon washers in the mounts and it makes the "cracking plastic" sounds, all this time I thought it was the plastic tote I keep in the trunk to partition/isolate stuff.

I might play around with removing the washers and torquing the nut to 13ft lbs with a crowfoot socket at a 90* angle. The latex washers look like a great idea, but I don't know if I could find something like that.

11-16-2012 10:27 AM

Geezer

The upper mounts between the wagon and the sedan/hatchback are very different as are the torque settings for each. After replacing my shocks on my ZX3 I developed a clunking problem as well. After pulling out my hair for several days (and I don't have that much to pull), I discovered that the interior panel (that has to be removed to get to the top mount) was the culprit. One of the clips on the back of the panel was not fastening correctly and was allowing the panel to bang around.

11-16-2012 01:12 AM

elsolo

Quote:

Originally Posted by S0C0nFused

Here is a pic of the top of the rear shocks. You can just see the stop.
Also, a pic of the 'doughnuts' I made from a heavy rubber foam. These add considerable resistance to the stock rubber mount (also pictured, doughnuts fit inside). Hope to get them in this weekend. Note: These are not solid like the ones from P-51.

I made a pair of donuts out of 1/4" thick latex sheet stock, they remove all free-play but have a little bit of give under stress.

No clunks ever, it's been 15,000 miles since I put them in.

11-16-2012 12:44 AM

ldwinslow

On my 06 wagon I recently replaced the rear shocks and after three days I starting getting a clunking noise on even slight bumps. After talking with a tech rep. from Gabriel I had not torqued the shock bolts properly. I retorqued the bolts per the tech's spec of 85 ft/lbs on the upper and 76 on the lower and the clunking noise went away when driving over bumps. Apparently the shock mounting brackets are meant to tighten onto the shock sleeves. This eliminates the clunking between the mounting bolts and the sleeves when the sleeves are not held firmly by the mounting brackets. When removing the mounting bolts I thought they felt awful tight.

05-22-2010 11:48 AM

Alex2507

Quote:

Originally Posted by oddballmazda

Can the clunking issue be solved the same way in a 2002 se sedan?

Let's hope so.
I'm going out to buy shocks now and armed with the 13 foot pound number I plan to make my 2000 SE ride like a Bentley.

04-12-2010 07:26 PM

oddballmazda

Can the clunking issue be solved the same way in a 2002 se sedan?

10-28-2009 04:32 PM

Geezer

The rule of thumb is to compress the bushings (stock rubber ones) so that they are no bigger in diameter than the above and below washers (stick out much beyond the diameter of the washer). For a urethane bushing this would be way too tight as they don't compress much unlike rubber. For urethane I'd just go hand snug (slight compression) on the upper nut unless the bushing installation instructions say otherwise. In either case, the goal is to not bind up the bushings.

10-28-2009 04:08 PM

CaysE

The shaft of the shock itself has to be able to move in the bushing. The stock bushing has an air pocket inside it... if you overtighten the nut, there's basically no bushing and the shaft can't move, making it prone to bending or breakage. You don't want the bushing itself to move around.

10-28-2009 03:40 PM

malim

Quote:

Originally Posted by Geezer

Any shock that has a shaft that uses a single nut and bushings above and below the upper shock mount should never be fully tightened. That fully compresses the two rubber bushings which can cause noise and doesn't let them do their job correctly. The top shock mounting shaft has to be able to move and not be bound up. Most install directions that come with shocks clearly indicate how much the top bushings are to be compressed. Most of the time there's even a graphic. In most cases you're suppose to "slightly" compress the bushings and then stop tightening.

That sentensed confused me that's why i asked.Geezer is saying that it has to move.

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